1 Kings 2, “As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. 16 Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said. 17 So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

1 Chronicles 29:9, “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.”

Psalm 95:7-8, “Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts…”

2 Thessalonians 1:3, “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”

O bservation

Adonijah’s presumption continues… The audacity to ask his mom to ask Solomon, the newly appointed king, if he could take as his wife, the virgin who had attended his recently deceased father, King David.

There just aren’t words.

Adonijah seemed to actually believe that he had been the king, albeit self-appointed. “”As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king.”

Not even close to being true… But he must have actually believed it! He felt like he should have been the king!

His plan and his presumption cost him his life.

Note to self.

Bitterness is like poison…

And David’s final words? “Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.” (In reference to Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on him earlier…)

A pplication

I hope my final words aren’t about settling the score with an old adversary…

I’d prefer a scenario more like this one, “Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.” Hebrews 11:21.

How often do we not actually deal with a situation with another person?

I wonder what may have happened if Adonijah had, in humility, gone to Solomon, asked for forgiveness, submitted to his leadership… I wonder if Solomon would have let him live… Maybe even at some point he would have granted his request for David’s attendant?

Maybe this family rift ran too deep?

Imagine if, at the end of your life, you could settle the score the way David did?

How many people would be on that list??

P rayer

Lord, may I always keep short accounts with others… that I would release others for any offense, in light of your forgiveness toward me. That my final words would be words of blessing, not bitterness.

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2 thoughts on “Day 137”

1 Kings 2, is like a cleansing. Those who had done evil (and most likely will again) are being purged. It reminds me of The Godfather, when Michael Corleone takes out all those who have “gone against the family”. It’s never easy reading about people getting taken out no matter how justified it might be. Again, it can be noted that this all ties to hunger for power and those who conspired against God’s plan were eradicated. This sets up a period of peace where the temple can be built. I wonder if they had not been taken out, if they would have sabotaged the construction process.

As we move from season to season in our lives, we have to purge out old friendships and move on. I can think of many “friends” from the past who were less than positive influences. Many were like spiritual boat anchors. As I tried to move onward and upward, they tried to keep me stagnant. As I tried to kick a bad habit, they would try to tempt me into giving in to giving up. I think it’s important to keep an eye on the company that we keep.

Lord, I trust you with the connections that I keep. I ask for wisdom to know who should remain active in my life and who should not. For those that I have known that are no longer a part of my life, I entrust them to You. I pray that I will be a positive influence to anyone in my life and they will positively influence me. Thank you for such great friends and family.

I want to learn to keep a short account with people. I am learning how to let other people not steal my joy. I have a long way to go, but happy I have this goal. I want to have the life Jesus died to give us. I am so thankful for his love. There is nothing like it.